December 6, 1992: The fateful day the Babri Masjid came down

Twenty-five years later, the Supreme Court has only just begun hearing the final arguments in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute. The effects of that day though continue to be felt

Idols of Lord Ram placed inside Babri Masjid

Idols of Lord Ram are placed under the central dome of the Babri Masjid in 1949.

In 1950, Gopal Simla Visharad files the first suit in Faizabad civil court asking that people be allowed to perform pooja to Ram Lalla. Paramahansa Ramachandra Das files a suit asking for the continuation of the pooja and the keeping of the idols in the structure. (Zee News Network)

Demolition occurred after political rally

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had organised a rally of 150,000 kar sevaks at the site. The rally turned violent, and the crowd overwhelmed security forces and tore down the mosque.

In October 1993, CBI files a composite charge sheet and accuses Advani and other leaders of 'conspiracy'.

In the same year, the government takes over 67 acres of land around the area, seeks SC's opinion on whether a Hindu place of worship existed at the site before the mosque was built. (Twitter)

Three-way partition

On September 30, 2010, Allahabad HC awards two-thirds of the disputed site to Hindu parties, one-third to Waqf Board.

In February 2011, CBI moves Supreme Court. Argues that 'the actual demolition of the Babri Masjid and the continuous assault on media persons form a single connected transaction and can well be a concerted conspiracy'.

CJI advises out-of-court settlement

On March 21, 2017, suggesting an out-of-court rapprochement among rival parties in the 68-year-old Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute, Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar advises peace negotiations instead of a pitched court battle, even offering help to settle the fight amicably.

On March 23, 2017, a Supreme Court Bench of Justices P.C. Ghose and Rohinton Nariman post for detailed hearing, two weeks later, the CBI appeal against the dropping of the criminal conspiracy charge against veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani and other top party leaders. (Zee News Network)

Conspiracy charges revived

On April 6, 2017, the Supreme Court indicates that it will use its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to transfer the Babri Masjid demolition-related trial against top BJP leaders L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi from Rae Bareilly to Lucknow, where a CBI court is hearing conspiracy and other serious criminal charges against "lakhs of unknown Kar Sevaks" for the actual act of razing the 15th-century mosque.

On December 5, 2017, the eve of the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the 15th-century mosque, the Supreme Court fixes the next hearing in the long-standing Ayodhya dispute matter for February 8, 2018. (Zee News Network)